Hozuki Ren
Appearance Ren has a long mane of thick silvery hair that falls to the middle of her back. Her hair is often wrapped or tied back in some manner, whether it is in braids, ribbons, or a simple pony tail. When in the village and off-duty, Ren is fond of leaving her hair unbound and loose to flow about her shoulders and down her back. Her hair is something of a luxury and a point of vanity for Ren, but as a ninja she is more than aware of the risks that long hair can pose in combat, and adapts her hairstyle accordingly to protect it, even if it means wearing it up in braids. Aside from her abundance of silvery hair, there is little that is remarkable about Ren's body or build. She has a lean and lithe frame like most other kunoichi her age, with toned muscles from many hours spent training and exercising. Her facial features are similarly average, although her nose is a little crooked and on the large side. Her eyes are a dark blue-purple color. Ren's outfits tend to be multi-layered and in hues of dark blues and purples. A typical outfit for her would be a close fitting spaghetti strap top, over which a fishnet or slightly loose outer shirt would be worn. Over this can be layered other items, as necessary, to adjust for the weather, climate, or a particular task, although she almost always has on her flak jacket, at least when on duty or training. She also tends to favor wearing tight-fitting leggings or shorts, depending on the weather, over which a short skirt can be wrapped. Her shoes are, almost always, a pair of boots that lace up to her knees. Her much treasured katanas are strapped to her back, and a low-slung belt around her hips provides an attachment point for pouches to keep other ninja tools in. Personality Ren tends towards the serious side, particularly when it comes to missions and other duties. Along with this, she tends towards bluntness and practicality that borders on a "shoot first, ask later" approach, but without the rashness of such an attitude, preferring to think for a moment rather than rush into things. She strikes a balance between introversion and extroversion - rarely does she chatter on about something, nor is she loud or boisterously outgoing, but she is a far cry from a wallflower or quiet little mouse. She is fiercely protective of her friends and tends to form very deep friendships with those close to her. Background Ren comes from an off-shoot of the Hozuki clan, a clan that has it's roots in the Land of Water. Her great-grandparents were among a small branch of Hozuki clan members that ended up settling along the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, many decades prior to the formation of any ninja villages. As such, during the foundation of Konohagakure, they were invited to join Konoha since they were in the vicinity, and did so, independently of the larger branch of the clanin the land of Water that joined Kiri. As for Ren's training and upbringing, most of it was provided by her family in the early years of Konoha's founding and construction. The group has remained close-knit, with clan techniques and fighting styles being taught to her by her parents and their siblings. Her training was mostly completed with cousins from the same clan and a few other ninjas her family was on good terms with. Ren entered into the ninja forces as a genin and assigned to Team 13 with Benko and Dante. Team 13 did well under the guidance of their sensei, Freska, although Ren had a strong, mostly private, dislike of the woman and her methods. But their sensei must have done something right, because when Team 13 entered the first ever chunin exams, all three members of Team 13 passed and were promoted together. Ren's life changed drastically after her promotion with her team to chunin. During an evening of celebratory drinks with Team 13, Dante gave her a scroll that he thought contained a "pet fox or something". At home later, Ren opened it to discover the nine-tailed fox contained within, and suddenly it was sealed into her. This, of course, presented many challenges to come as Ren tried to come to terms with this. What was sealed inside her? What did it all mean? Luckily, she had her good friends to help her through all of this, even helping to restrain her and bring her back to herself with the tailed-beast inside threatens to take over. Recently, Ren was promoted after she was sent on a mission to try and find the First Hokage. She found leads, but did not find the man himself, and was tasked with assembling a squad to complete the mission. Combat Style Ren is primarily a close range fighter who focuses on fighting with dual katanas, though she has some powerful water ninjutsu to back up her physical skills and make slightly more ranged attacks. While not afraid to go head on when the situation calls for it, Ren would much rather try to flank enemies, or surprise them from concealment on the sidelines, to gain the advantage. She relies on her clan's special ability to lure opponents into a false sense of victory, and allow her to closer up than most other other fighters are capable of. She also likes to rely on misdirection and "tricky moves" to try and get one up on her opponents. Stats Body Stats Technique Stats Items of Note Katana (steel): What appears to be a simple katana is one of Ren's most cherished possessions. She inherited the blade from her grandfather. Although it has no special properties, it holds a great deal of sentimental value. Ren has spent many long hours training with this katana to the point that it feels like an extension of her arm. The grip is worn from decades of use and has been re-wrapped to suit Ren's grip. Katana II (steel): A newer weapon purchased recently by Ren for the purpose of dual wielding in a fight. Although it's a newly forged item, Ren treats it just a well as the heirloom katana, and has great plans for the pair of blades. Leaf Village Flak Jacket: A flak jacket vest with multiple pockets designed to hold various ninja tools and even scrolls - it's a symbol of rank throughout the Hidden Leaf Village. The vest itself is made of a sturdy Kevlar material, and is capable of shielding one from superficial cuts and grazes, though it can be pierced with an edged weapon. Kunai: A standard ninja throwing tool. These replenish at the end of every thread. Shuriken: A standard ninja throwing tool. These replenish at the end of every thread. Pocketwatch: A silver pocketwatch from Freska, Team 13's sensei. The front has a detailed engraving that looks like the gates of Konoha, peering on down through the main street. On the inside of the small door is an engraving "Team 13".